Driveways and paths

Front garden to tarmac driveway in Argyll and Bute

We survey and price front garden driveway conversions across Argyll and Bute, from Helensburgh to Dunoon and Oban, with every layer written into the quote.

ARGYLL AND BUTE GUIDE£65–£102 per m² inc VAT
Front garden converted to a tarmac parking space with a lowered kerb, typical of front garden driveway conversion work

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Argyll and Bute?

Rates in Argyll and Bute follow Scotland, about 8% above our UK midpoint. Work here is by arrangement because of travel and haulage.

ItemGuide price (inc VAT)
New black tarmac drive, full dig-out and new sub-base£65–£102 per m²
Example: 20 m² drive£1,400–£2,250
Example: 30 m² drive£2,150–£3,400
Example: 45 m² drive£2,900–£4,600

Towns we cover in Argyll and Bute

Postcode areas: G, PA.

What is included?

A front garden conversion turns lawn or planting into a parking space: the ground is excavated, a stone sub-base laid, tarmac surfaced on top, and a lowered kerb arranged so a car can cross the pavement legally.

  • Check the space: length, width and gate posts for a car
  • Highway authority dropped kerb application guided or handled for you
  • Lawn, hedge roots and topsoil removed
  • Kerbs or blocks as edge restraint
  • Water directed to a border, soakaway or channel
  • A planted strip kept where it helps drainage and looks

Rules in Argyll and Bute

In Scotland, permitted development allows a hard surface between a house and a road only if it is porous or the water drains to a porous area within the property. Unlike England there is no 5 m² allowance, so it applies to any size. Conservation areas and the grounds of listed buildings have extra restrictions. The council, as roads authority, controls any new or widened access across a footway.

How it is built

Surface course20–30 mm AC 6 or porous asphaltBinder course50–60 mmSub-baseabout 150 mm MOT Type 1Drainageborder, soakaway or channelINDICATIVE CROSS-SECTION · NOT TO SCALE

Front garden to tarmac driveway in Argyll and Bute: questions

How much does a front garden driveway conversion cost in Argyll and Bute?

As a 2026 guide, about £65–£102 per m² inc VAT in Argyll and Bute. The survey confirms a fixed price.

Which towns in Argyll and Bute do you cover?

Helensburgh, Dunoon, Oban, by arrangement.

How long does a front garden driveway conversion take?

Usually 2–4 working days, after the kerb approval.

Do I need planning permission?

You may need planning permission for the dropped kerb if the road is classified, and for the drive if it is over 5 m² in England and does not drain to a permeable area. A porous surface or a planted border avoids the drive permission in most cases.

Other services in Argyll and Bute

Free survey for new surfacing

Get a written tarmac quote

Send a postcode and a rough size and we'll arrange a survey. Every quote lists the layers, edging, drainage and VAT.

  • Surface courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Binder courseDEPTH + MIX
  • Sub-baseDEPTH + MATERIAL
  • Edges, drainage, VATITEMISED
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